


Harmless

by ConvenientAlias



Category: Marco Polo (TV)
Genre: Angst and Porn, Dark femslash week, F/F, Power Imbalance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-17
Updated: 2018-10-17
Packaged: 2019-08-03 15:24:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16328579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ConvenientAlias/pseuds/ConvenientAlias
Summary: “I am surprised that you would still want me like this,” Mei Lin says.Chabi raises her eyebrows. “Because you tried to kill me?”“Yes.”“You will not try to do so again, after all,” Chabi says. Her voice is gentle, and she touches Mei Lin’s cheekbone with the back of her hand. “You would not dare."





	Harmless

It may be said about the empress that she is graceful in victory. Mei Lin imagines she would be graceful in defeat as well, but doubts she has ever been defeated. Unlike Mei Lin, who has been forced to bow by many over the years, and still resents it. She resented the Song emperor when she served him, resented Jia Sidao for his blackmail, resents Ahmad for his presumption. Now she resents Chabi because Chabi in victory is graceful and merciful but still very aware that yes, she has won.

After she shows Mei Lin her daughter, she leads Mei Lin back to her chambers. She walks slowly enough that Mei Lin may walk by her side and Mei Lin wonders whether this is out of courtesy or an awareness that Mei Lin still harbors the desire to sink a knife into her back. Ling-Ling is safe, but it is clear Chabi still intends to use her as a tool, and Mei Lin would kill her for that if she thought it would actually accomplish anything.

But she’s practical. She knows the best place to be right now is in Chabi’s favor—Chabi is the only reason she and Ling-Ling are still alive, after all. So she is quiet and submissive and she accepts Chabi’s mercy and kindness, and follows Chabi into her bedroom and lets Chabi push her onto the bed.

“I am surprised that you would still want me like this,” she says.

Chabi raises her eyebrows. “Because you tried to kill me?”

“Yes.”

“You will not try to do so again, after all,” Chabi says. Her voice is gentle, and she touches Mei Lin’s cheekbone with the back of her hand. “You would not dare. Not now.”

Mei Lin says, “No, I would not.”

“Then you are harmless.” Chabi steps back. “Do not worry yourself about my wellbeing. One does not go to a concubine to be scolded.”

Mei Lin could have contradicted that—many men went to concubines for all sorts of treatment—but she knows what Chabi likes from her, and yes, it’s not that. She strips off her clothes, slow enough to make it a show but quick enough that Chabi won’t get impatient. Chabi watches. She does not undress herself, yet. When Mei Lin is naked she asks Mei Lin to help her take her clothes off, and Mei Lin bows slightly and obliges. She knows how to make such an experience erotic, brushing against the patron’s body, pressing breasts against backs and leaning over shoulders. But Chabi requires formality, and Mei Lin undresses her efficiently, barely touching her at all.

They lie down in the bed. Chabi says, “You did not impress me very much last time.”

“Oh?” Mei Lin hates it when her skills are insulted. She knows her own value. She knows any devaluation, therefore, to be an unfair taunt.

“You are an inept whore and a failed assassin,” Chabi says. “Aren’t you happy we took pity on you and took you in?”

“Yes, empress.” Mei Lin keeps her eyes down. They fixate on Chabi’s breasts, which are still a more appropriate place to look than her smug eyes.

“We’ll see if you at least learned anything from my lesson.” Chabi takes Mei Lin’s hands and guides them down to her groin. “Show me, then.”

This is how Chabi is in bed, peremptory. She’ll grab Mei Lin’s hands and move them here and there, taking them from her cunt to her breasts and then back down, as if she were masturbating instead of letting a whore service her. She’ll shove Mei Lin’s head down and tell her to suck, then yank her up for a hungry kiss so fast Mei Lin almost nips her skin. It’s not a route to quick satisfaction, certainly, and the only person she’s teasing is herself. Mei Lin could criticize but she knows from the heat in Chabi’s eyes that even if it’s not the kind of thing Mei Lin likes, Chabi’s getting off on it. Everyone has different tastes, after all. Mei Lin can’t help but compare her to her husband, who gets his satisfaction quickly and efficiently, hardly paying attention to Mei Lin herself. She hates Kublai, the tyrant boor, but she hates Chabi too, in a vicious, stinging way. Her hate for Chabi tastes like slippery salt and musk, and she can taste it for hours even after the deed is done.

It is an odd thing about Chabi that even though she is harsh in bed, she is soft afterwards. She cradles Mei Lin, clasping arms around her naked waist. Her fingers probe Mei Lin’s stomach, and Mei Lin fights not to squirm. “I should have known you were not like the others,” she says. “Your thinness is made of muscle. I noticed that when I first saw you.”

Hands dance up Mei Lin’s body, feeling at her ribs and chest, then stroking her biceps, which are unfortunately tense—she cannot bring herself to calm down around Chabi, even though she knows she is as safe as she will ever be in this household. The touch is light and evaluating. It is not meant as a lover’s touch, really, though Mei Lin gets wet regardless, and curses herself for it—Chabi doesn’t seem to be in a giving mood, and she’ll be left unsatisfied. No, it is a calm and searching touch, until unexpectedly Chabi’s mouth bites down on Mei Lin’s neck. Mei Lin starts, but Chabi squeezes her, holding her in place. She sucks long and carefully, and leaves a kiss on the spot when she is done.

“You’ll be good for us, won’t you, Mei Lin?” she asks, and her voice is coldly polite for a bed that stinks of sex.

“Yes,” Mei Lin says, because there is never any other answer.

“Yes,” Chabi repeats, and her hands continue to dance down Mei Lin’s body. They end resting on her stomach, inches away from her heat, and Mei Lin lies perfectly still, careful not to show her desire. Later, when Chabi leaves, she can take care of it for herself. She already is indebted to Chabi for her life, for her daughter, for everything. She won’t beg Chabi for something as small as this. Won't show Chabi another sign of just how soft and helpless she's become.

But then Chabi’s fingers slip just a little lower, brushing against Mei Lin’s groin, and she has to bite her lip to keep herself from whimpering.

“If you’re good, then I can be good to you,” Chabi says. “If you want.”

Mei Lin’s heart is beating fast. She says, fighting to keep her voice steady, “I only want what my lady wants.”

Chabi kisses Mei Lin’s jaw and slips her fingers down a little further, and Mei Lin won’t beg but she can’t help but groan, and judging by the smug exhale against her neck she’s already given everything away.

**Author's Note:**

> Just some Chabi/Mei Lin for the power imbalance day of Dark Femslash Week :)


End file.
